Buffy's AU Beginnings
by mmooch
Summary: **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge. Hollis makes Buffy feel again.
1. Chapter 1: Aug 01 – Five Years

**Aug 01 – Five Years**

Chapter Summary: Buffy's with House for five years before the inevitable happens. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: pre-series for BtVS; vague for House.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. House, MD characters belong to David Shore and Fox. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

 **Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, New Jersey**

The first year they met, she changed his world.

The second year, she almost ended it.

The third year, he wanted to lock her away.

The fourth year, she amazed him beyond words.

The fifth year, he finally broke her heart.

 **Year 1**

Gregory House was not one to want a child. Anyone who met him could tell you that. So why was it when his sister and brother-in-law died in a car accident, leaving their baby daughter in his custody, did he say yes?

It would have been easy to give up custody. Hell, with his addiction, it would be a battle to keep it. But one look into her eyes and he was lost. He had to try for his little Buffy.

 **Year 2**

Even though he tried to give up the pills, he couldn't quite shake it until that awful, terrifying day a year after he formally accepted guardianship of Buffy.

Everything changed when she was able to move, crawl and climb by herself. He was distracted by a medical journal and only looked up when he heard the distinctive sound of pills hitting the wooden floor.

Buffy had managed to grab his pill bottle off the end table – and since he didn't bother with child-proof caps – she got it open with no trouble whatsoever. She was just about to grab one of the pills when he dove across the room to stop her.

The following months were hell as he detoxed, but whenever he was tempted to backslide, he saw her little fingers grabbing a pill and shoving it into her mouth. Nothing was worth the horror of losing her.

 **Year 3**

House wondered how early you could send a girl to a convent…or all-girls school. He hated the little boy that dared to kiss his girl! It didn't matter that said boy was only 4 years old…he had no right!

Fortunately, before he could do anything that could get him in trouble, his precious darling pushed the boy away with a frown and yelled, "Yucky boys!" House grinned broadly at that and hoped she'd keep that attitude for at least the next 3 or 4 decades.

 **Year 4**

When he was called into the daycare to discuss Buffy, House couldn't begin to imagine what was coming. He looked around at the other toddlers and thought to himself that his daughter was so much smarter and prettier and better than all of them combined, but he knew he was biased beyond words.

"I think Buffy belongs in a special program for gifted children," the director said.

 _'Guess I'm not as biased as I thought!'_ House mused to himself with a smirk.

 **Year 5**

He didn't mean to, but on Buffy's fifth birthday, he broke her heart. He was on his way to her birthday party when he realized he forgot her present in his office at the hospital. Making a detour to grab it wouldn't have been a big deal any other day, but this day was fate's way to bring a little more suffering into the life of the future Slayer.

House barely got through the doors of the hospital when the shot rang out and he was hit by a bullet from the crazed husband coming after his wife after she left him for one too many 'accidents' that ended up with her bruised and in pain.

Buffy never even got the chance to say goodbye to her Daddy.

* * *

A/N: Okay, maybe not the happiest of fics to start the month out on, but Musie couldn't help herself.


	2. Chapter 2: Aug 03 – NYC Princess

**Aug 03 – NYC Princess**

Chapter Summary: Buffy adores her life in NYC and her extended family. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: Immediately after Daddy House chapter; about season 2ish of L&O. Hand wave to make timelines match up.

A/N: I'm pretending that Ben doesn't have kids because I didn't remember him mentioning them when he was on the show. I'm also not sure they mentioned Adam's wife's name, so I made one up.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Law & Order characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

 **Ben Stone's Apartment**

Ben stared at the social worker with a bit of exasperation. "You want me to take custody of a 5-year-old girl?"

"At least for a little while as we search for another family member who can take her. You were the only one from either side of her biological family we could contact on short notice. If you won't take her, we'll have to put her into foster care," the lady explained, hoping that he relent.

While he didn't have anything against the system per se, he knew there were enough cases where the child suffered in some way.

Sensing that he was wavering, the woman quickly suggested, "Perhaps a short trial period to see if you get along?"

"I assume there was no pun intended with your wording," he remarked dryly. He sighed and said, "Very well, we'll give it a shot for a little while."

"My colleague has her down in the car right now. I was hoping you would agree and thought it would be best if she was here to meet you," she admitted.

"Before I can change my mind?" he said with a slight chuckle. Her sheepish look gave him his answer. She left to go get the girl.

Several minutes later, there was a knock on his door and he gathered himself before opening it. He still wasn't sure this was a good idea; he didn't know anything about raising kids and had more than his fair share of enemies in the city. Those concerns didn't diminish when he looked at the child, either. She was adorable…and a perfect target.

"Hello, sir. My name is Buffy Summers," she introduced herself with a maturity he didn't expect from a girl so young.

"Hell, Buffy. You can call me Ben," he told her with a welcoming smile. "Did Ms. Harper explain to you why you're here?"

"You're going to take care of me now that Daddy Greg went to be with Mommy and Daddy," she replied with wet eyes as she fought the urge to cry again.

"Oh boy," Ben muttered under his breath. He was in serious trouble. "Would you mind telling me a little more about yourself? What you like to do, that sort of thing?"

She smiled, feeling a little happier now.

The social worker watched with a healthy dose of optimism that this would work out. She wondered how long it would last.

* * *

 **Several months later…**

Buffy bounced into the DA's office and right into Adam Schiff's lap, much to the astonishment of Ben and his fairly new ADA, Claire Kincaid.

"Hi, Grandpa Adam!" she chirped, stunning them further.

"Grandpa?" Ben prompted.

Adam smirked a bit and explained, "Buffy said she never had a grandpa – or grandma for that matter – and wondered if I would mind."

"So now you have four uncles – Mike, Lenny, Don and Paul – and a grandpa?" Ben asked his little girl.

"And Grandma Vera!" she added happily.

Ben considered the timing of his idea and decided that it wasn't too bad. She gave him the opening he was looking for, even if it meant he had an audience. "What do you think about making it official that I'm your Daddy Ben?"

"For real and for keeps?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"Yes," he said before she jumped from his boss' lap and launched herself at him.

"I love you, Daddy Ben!" she proclaimed.

Ben smiled and kissed the top of her head, "And I love you, Buffy."

* * *

 **After** ** _'Old Friends'_** **…**

It had been a particularly grueling case, shaking Ben's faith in himself. It's possible that Ann Madsen might have been killed by the Russian mob anyway but forcing her to testify was akin to signing her death warrant…at least in his mind. It was bad enough that he had turned in his resignation to Adam earlier that evening.

"Do you need snuggles, Daddy?" Buffy asked, seeing the pain in his eyes.

"I sure do, sweetheart," Ben agreed. She had explained the first time she saw him upset during a case that when her Daddy Greg was hurt or upset, she helped him by giving him snuggles. She was a world-class snuggler, and it always lightened his heart when she climbed into his lap and hugged him.

The next day, Briscoe and Logan came to talk to Ben about his decision and were immediately alarmed when they saw his front door slightly ajar. Pulling their weapons, they carefully entered and called out for him.

They swept the house and finally discovered his body on the bathroom floor. It was clear he had been murdered.

They carefully used the phone to call it in to dispatch. Then Lenny asked the question they had tried to ignore, "Where's Buffy?"

* * *

A/N: So I'm guessing that you really hate me now! I went through a half dozen fandoms before deciding on this one.


	3. Chapter 3: Aug 06 – Mercy

**Aug 06 – Mercy**

Chapter Summary: A girl is rescued by the BAU, but is it too late? **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: During Season 4 'Bloodlines' for CM; about 2 ½ years after Daddy Ben chapter

Warning: upping the rating on this chapter because it's darker than the other chapters in my opinion

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Criminal Minds characters belong to Jeff Davis, The Mark Gordon Company and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

 _Voiceover by Rossi_

Joseph Conrad said, "The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary. Men alone are quite capable of every wickedness."

* * *

 **BAU Offices**

"We got a missing 10-year-old girl, home invasion. Parents were killed in their sleep. Eight hours and counting," Aaron briefed Dave and Emily. "Wheels up in 30."

The team moved quickly because they knew the stats for an abduction were that most kids didn't survive past 24 hours. The ones that did…weren't necessarily luckier.

* * *

 **Harvest, Alabama**

As the case progressed, they realized that it was a team who abducted her. The evidence and autopsy both confirmed there had to be at least two killers.

In the motorhome where the kidnapped girl, Cate, was being held, the Family renamed her Elena and began the courtship between their son and his bride-to-be. While they were getting used to each other, only the Mother and Father were with them. Their other two Sons and the eldest's bride-to-be were in a nearby tent. Once they were sure their Middle Son was content with Elena, she'd be introduced to her Sister, Mercy, who joined their group two years prior.

Unfortunately, Elena proved to be unworthy because of her epilepsy and they had to start over with a new girl.

It was good news for Cate, however, because they didn't kill her first and she was rescued. Plus, she was able to provide the team with some vital clues about her abductors. It was a family in an RV. Since she only knew about the parents and the boy her age, she couldn't tell them about the other three.

Emily recognized the term the Mother called her son as a Romanian word.

At the RV park, they found out there was more to the family. An older boy, another girl and a baby boy. With some deductions by Spencer, they determined that the Family were gypsies who perverted the Romany culture for their own twisted goals. While the team gave the profile, Penelope broadened her search for similar killings/abductions in small towns with petty theft and other misdemeanor crimes.

Once the profile was given, Morgan grabbed the others to show them what Garcia found, a string of killings/abductions going back a hundred years all over the country. Each crime was far enough apart in space and time so that it didn't show up until now. The most recent was in New Jersey, just days outside Garcia's original search window.

* * *

 **Shopping Mall**

When Mercy saw her 'Mother' - Kathy/Silvia – get captured by the police, she felt it was finally time for her to make her move. For two years, she played the part these wackos wanted her to; she knew from Daddy Ben that it was her best chance of survival.

Heck, it was how she survived those monsters who raised her after their own 'family' killed her Daddy. She found it a twisted sense of justice that they would be killed themselves while she was kidnapped again. It couldn't have happened to more deserving people – except these monsters.

While her 'Father', 'Brother' and husband-to-be were using the distraction of the arrest to slip away, she used her good, subservient behavior as the means to slip her leash. All she had to do was get the attention of the police. Once her 'Mother' was led away, she pushed the stroller over to the men in charge – or who she guessed were in charge – and asked in an innocent voice, "Why did you take my husband's mother away?"

Aaron looked at the girl, remembered the latest case in New Jersey, and asked, "Are you Katrina?"

She looked confused for a second, then replied, "That was my name before I became Mercy."

"I'm Aaron Hotcher, and I'm with the FBI. Who's this little guy?" he inquired, gesturing to the baby.

"That's Stefano; the youngest of our Clan," she replied easily. Pointing in the direction the others took the Mother, she warned, "You can't make her give up the Family…not entirely. Even if she tells you something, it won't be the whole story. She's one of them now."

"We're pretty good at getting answers out of somebody," Aaron assured her.

Katrina/Mercy shook her head, "They lie and mislead as easily as they pickpocket. Don't let your guard down with her."

"Will you lie to us?" Aaron asked, wondering how indoctrinated she was after just two years.

"About them? Not a chance. They are monsters who deserve to be thrown in the darkest pit you can find for them," she responded coldly, ignoring the fact that she was willing to lie about her true identity if she could get away with it.

She had her own plans for the Romani monsters, and the FBI weren't a part of that. While she wasn't stolen from a nice family, she was willing to bet that most of the other girls were. She just needed to get bigger and learn some skills of her own before she could go after them.

But she would give the FBI this family…if only to keep them off her scent.

* * *

 **Jail Cell**

They thought they managed to trick Kathy into giving up the Family, but they only managed to get the Father and the Middle Son. Like Katrina warned, she wouldn't tell them everything.

Luckily, they didn't tell Kathy that they had Stefano and Katrina, who told them where her 'husband' would be waiting for the Father to return after fencing the goods…assuming they didn't change their MO when she went missing with Stefano.

So when the translation came in that Kathy warned her Son not to tell them about his Brothers, it didn't matter because the police already had them in custody.

* * *

 **Plane ride back**

"What's bothering you, Aaron?" David asked. "Is it the other families?"

Aaron just shook his head. "Actually, no, because now that we're on the lookout for the MO, we know what to expect from them. It's Katrina. There's something dark in her eyes. If she isn't already a future unsub, I'm worried that she's close to it."

Nodding his agreement, David replied, "Yeah, she was old for her age. Did you hear that Penelope found out more about her family in New Jersey?" When Aaron shook his head again, David went on, "Turns out the dad was a low-level hitter for the Russian mob up in New York City. She probably had a very harsh life, even before this happened."

"Oh god!" Aaron breathed in horror. When would she show up on their radar again? And which side of the story would she be on that time?

* * *

 _Voiceover by Hotchner_

Mario Puzo wrote, "The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other."

* * *

A/N: Okay, it's official now…Buffy's life sucks!


	4. Chapter 4: Aug 12 –Man O

**Aug 09 –Man O' Mann**

Chapter Summary: The BAU team tries to help Buffy. **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: right after previous chapter for the story and season 4 for NCIS

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

 **BAU Airplane**

David leaned back in his seat, considering what Aaron said about Katrina/Mercy. Could they save her from becoming an unsub? Perhaps…if they could get her into a loving home in time.

It would help if they knew more about her backstory. If she was raised in a mob family, violence might be too ingrained in her psyche. But what if she hadn't been? She didn't seem particularly broken up about the deaths of her parents.

He tapped his fingers on the table in front of him while he considered the possibilities. Then he opened the computer and dinged Penelope.

"What can I do for you, o' wise and rugged one?" she chirped.

With a grin at her flirtatious behavior, he answered, "I need you to do a search for missing girls in the NY tri-state area, going back about 12 years and matching Katrina's description."

"Is there more to the case?" she asked as she began typing.

"No, just trying for a happy resolution, if we can get it," David admitted. They couldn't spend a lot of resources on this, but they had a little leeway during their clean-up period.

"Sadly, it is a large number of girls," Penelope responded, looking at her overflowing screen.

Aaron overheard the conversation and joined in with an idea of his own, "How many of those had parents who were killed at about the same time they disappeared?"

"You think she went through this twice?" she asked in horror. "Oh, that poor girl!"

"She did a very good job assimilating with the family…too good for a girl that age. If she had to do it before, it could explain a lot," Aaron explained.

There were the sounds of rapid typing and some muffled bad words by the team computer guru. "We're down to a couple dozen now," she told them.

"Any of those have involvement with the mob in some way?" David asked, leaning forward.

A couple seconds later, she exclaimed, "Jackpot. About two and a half years ago, Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Stone was killed shortly after his last case as a Manhattan prosecutor – which was against the Russian mob. His adopted daughter, Buffy, went missing the same night."

"Bring up her photo," Aaron ordered tersely.

The team gathered around and looked at the little girl on the screen.

"Sure looks like her to me," Morgan opined. The rest of them agreed. If she wasn't the same girl, she was her sister.

"What do we do now?" Reid inquired. Knowing her history was interesting, but it ultimately had no bearing on the case.

"You have until we get back to the office to find a family member, Garcia," Aaron announced. They couldn't use FBI resources any longer than that.

"Then you best leave me to my computers, sir," she replied.

"Good luck," several voices said in almost unison before she clicked off.

* * *

 **BAU office**

Penelope looked decidedly nervous when she met the team at the elevators.

"Any luck?" David asked hopefully.

She nodded, "Yes, a distant cousin who happens to live here in the DC area. I've already called her and gave her a brief history. She's coming in tonight for a more detailed discussion with you."

Morgan could read her face like a book and had to know why she looked like she was caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar. "What did you do, baby girl?"

Grimacing at the yelling that would ensue, Penelope quietly answered, "I called the Alabama office and asked them to send Buffy up here for another interview."

"While you should have gotten approval before doing that, I think it could be a good idea," Aaron said after a few seconds. "When is the relative getting here?"

"She said about an hour from when I talked to her," Penelope looked at her watch and added, "Which was about 35 minutes ago."

"Okay, Rossi and I will stay and talk to her. The rest of you should go home and get some rest. Good work, team," Aaron commended them.

Penelope handed him a thin folder and explained, "A little background on the woman; she's career military and works for the CID. Name's Lt. Colonel Hollis Mann. She sounds tough, sir," she offered her opinion on the woman's character from their call.

"Good to know. Get some rest, Penelope," he replied kindly.

* * *

A/N: I considered another chapter of angst for Buffy but decided that I was already over the line for cruelty and what I had planned was Angelus-level sadistic. Next chapter in this fic will be some Hollis/Buffy.


	5. Chapter 5: Aug 19 – Decency

**Aug 19 – Decency**

Chapter Summary: **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge. Hollis makes Buffy feel again.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: right after previous chapter for the story and season 4 for NCIS

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Criminal Minds characters belong to Jeff Davis, The Mark Gordon Company and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

 **BAU office**

After giving Hollis the backstory they had for Buffy, Aaron warned her, "You need to know that even without her most recent kidnapping and brainwashing, Buffy's life up to now hasn't been easy. Losing her parents, then two adoptive parents before the age of ten can cause severe psychological damage."

"I understand," Hollis replied. "I've seen it before in my job. Obviously, not the exact same circumstances, but other cases where the children develop attachment disorders and such. I know there are no guarantees that we'll have a happy ending, but she's family and I want to try. To be completely honest, I let my career be the focus of my life for so long that this might be my only chance to have a child," she admitted.

David interjected, "What about your career? You're still active duty, aren't you?"

"I am, but I have enough time in that I can start the paperwork for retirement now and be out within a year. At least I wouldn't be deployed during that time," Hollis told them rather unnecessarily, since she guessed they knew about such things as well as she did. "With Buffy in the picture, that could speed up some bureaucratic issues."

"Okay, when Buffy gets here, we'll introduce you and go from there," Aaron pronounced. "Try to get her some good psychiatric help."

"I know a few people we can try," Hollis promised.

 **6 months later…**

Buffy was waiting in the kitchen for Hollis one morning with a serious look on her face and breakfast waiting on the table.

"Good morning, Buffy," she greeted the girl with a friendly smile. "Thanks for making breakfast again." It was important to Hollis that she show her appreciation for the good things Buffy did so that when she had to scold her for anything – which didn't happen often – the young girl didn't automatically assume she'd be sent to foster care.

Finding out that Hollis was related to her Daddy Ben, but not her Daddy Greg, came as a shock to Buffy. She hadn't met Hollis during her time in New York because she had been overseas on deployment. Well, that and they weren't close relatives and didn't keep in touch that much.

But knowing she was family in a not creepy mob or gypsy way unlocked a part of Buffy's heart that she had been protecting for the last few years since her first kidnapping. While she never said anything to Hollis, she subconsciously was giving Hollis a chance to really be a part of her life.

When she realized what she was doing – which happened while she was smiling as she made breakfast this morning – it freaked her out a lot. She couldn't afford to get close to anyone again. She'd have to explain it to Hollis right away.

"What's the matter, Buffy?" Hollis asked gently when she realized that Buffy was off in her thoughts again instead of eating.

Shaken from her reverie, Buffy said, "You seem like a decent person, Hollis, and I don't want you to die, so I think you should put me in an orphanage or something."

Hollis let out a deep sigh at this announcement. Part of her cheered that Buffy was starting to care about her at least a little bit; she herself was falling in love…in a motherly way, of course. The more practical part of her brain had been expecting something like this sooner or later. After losing so many parental figures, especially most of them to death, it was a given that she would feel cursed in some way.

"I'm thrilled that you care about me enough to be concerned about my well-being, and I would give just about anything to be able to promise you that I won't die, but I can't guarantee something like that," Hollis started honestly. It was a deal between them that they wouldn't lie to each other. If it meant they didn't answer a question, then they wouldn't answer.

She reached out for Buffy's hand and was happy and surprised when Buffy took it. Deciding to take a risk, she pulled Buffy into her lap and stroked her hair while she continued, "I will promise that having you in my life has made it complete in a way I hadn't realized I was missing before. Whether it's tomorrow or a few decades from now, I will not die with any regrets about having you in my life," she vowed.

It sounded so much like something her fathers – that she loved – would say that Buffy broke down sobbing. Hollis just held her until the tears subsided and shared the pain as best she could.

"I think maybe it would be a good idea if you saw the Doc today, don't you think?" Hollis suggested. This kind of breakthrough was a big deal and they needed professional help to make sure it stuck.

Nodding, Buffy answered, "But first can we stop by the FBI place? I have something I need tell them about the gypsies."

"Something new you remembered?" Hollis asked.

"No," Buffy shook her head and clarified, "something I didn't say before because I wanted my own revenge. My plan was to go after them myself when I was older and knew more. But I just realized that it's selfish of me not to help those girls now when I have you."

"I'm glad you didn't wait, Buffy," Hollis said, shaken at how close it had come to Buffy becoming a killer. She didn't fool herself to think that Buffy had intended to try and arrest the gypsies when she found them. If that had been her plan, she would have told the BAU everything right away.

A/N: A little cliched and schmoopy, I know, but I wanted to rush Buffy's recovery, so she and Hollis could become a family. Plus, it's only a couple years until Buffy's the Slayer and they deserve some happiness until then.


	6. Chapter 6: Aug 21 –Meeting the Boyfriend

**Aug 21 –Meeting the Boyfriend**

Chapter Summary: **Part of the 2018 LiveJournal's Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge. Buffy and Gibbs meet.

Challenge: for the livejournal 2018 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.

Timeline: a month or so after the last chapter in the storyline

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

* * *

 **Hollis' home**

Buffy walked into the house where she lived with Hollis and saw a man sitting on the couch. Momentarily alarmed at the stranger's presence, she quickly studied him and tried to place his description with people Hollis had talked about. After a few seconds, she guessed, "Are you Gibbs?"

He seemed even more startled to see her, but answered with a friendly tone, "Yes, I'm Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

She shook his outstretched hand and babbled, "Wow, and I thought my parents were mean when they called me Buffy." When she realized that she might have insulted him, she quickly added, "Do you and Hollis have plans tonight? I don't remember her mentioning anything this morning."

"I thought I'd surprise her with dinner," he explained, pointing to the bags on the coffee table in front of him. "Guess she's not the only one surprised tonight," he murmured to himself. In the couple months that they had been dating, she never mentioned having a kid. But Buffy called her Hollis, so it wasn't likely that it was her daughter. However, Hollis was an only child…

His thoughts were cut off when Buffy spoke again, "I guess we should get her out here to handle the official and probably uncomfortable introductions." She walked over to the hallway and called out, "Hollis! I'm home and staring awkwardly at Gibbs!"

Hollis came out with two bottles of beer and smiled nervously at the pair. "Buffy, I wasn't expecting you home for another hour!"

Buffy shrugged and explained, "Coach had a family emergency and practice was cut short. I texted you."

"Damn!" Hollis cursed softly while she grabbed her phone. Sure enough, there was Buffy's text message. "Sorry about this, you guys. I had a whole thing planned on how to introduce you."

"And it wasn't this blindside moment?" Buffy teased.

"Very funny, young lady," Hollis half-snapped. "Okay, here goes…Jethro, this is Buffy Summers. I'm her guardian while we decide whether we make things permanent with adoption. Buffy, this is the man I'm dating, Jethro Gibbs."

"Hi again, Gibbs," Buffy said. Sensing they needed some alone adult time to talk, she added, "I think I'll go grab a sandwich and do my homework in my room. Do me a favor and don't give him the whole tragic orphan Buffy story tonight? Save some for the next date."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me, Hol?" Gibbs demanded.

"It's new for me, and I'm still trying to get my footing with Buffy. I didn't want to say anything to you until I was sure it was more than just a casual thing between us," Hollis defended herself.

"But that night I came by after Sharif…" he started.

"Buffy was at a sleepover. The first one she went to since she came to live with me," she clarified. "She's right, her life has been a series of tragedies and while I don't mind what our relationship is right now, I don't want to mix you together unless we're in a more serious place. I'm not giving you an ultimatum or anything; I'm just explaining what I need to do for Buffy's sake."

"What happened to her?" Gibbs asked in a gentler voice.

"Quick version is that her parents died in an accident, then her adoptive father was killed by a stray bullet, her next father was murdered by the mob and she was kidnapped by them. The family she was with after that was murdered as well and she was kidnapped again by a family who wanted her as a future wife for their son. That family was arrested by the FBI's BAU and they tracked me down because her second adoptive father was my second cousin," Holllis recited the horrific list she was given several months earlier.

"God!" Gibbs whispered. "How is she still sane?"

She shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder that myself. But she is a very tough little girl…and far too old for her biological age." Hollis smiled suddenly and said, "She's so caring though. After she had been with me for a few months, she warned me that it was dangerous to be her guardian and because she liked me, she didn't think she should stay here."

"Can you blame her for thinking that, given her background?" Gibbs retorted. He sat there, quietly thinking about Buffy's life and all the hell she'd been through so far. That made him think about Shannon and Kelly, which didn't surprise him. A lot of things made him think of his family.

He wanted to say something to Hollis about them. Tonight gave him the perfect opportunity to…but he wasn't ready yet. But he'd have to do it if he he wanted to be part of their lives on a full-time basis, and now that he had met Buffy, he knew he'd have to decide fast.

* * *

A/N: Ran out of time again, but I'm pretty happy with where this ended.


End file.
